Workout of the Day (WOD)

I know we tell all of you that you need a rest
day…..however, let’s change that and be more specific. All of you, and
this goes out to our coaches too, need a Recovery Day. Some of you may
wonder what’s the difference, aren’t those the same?

The definition of rest is an instance or period of
relaxing or ceasing to engage in strenuous or stressful activity.

The definition of recovery is a return to a normal
state of health, mind, or strength.

So why a Recovery Day? In CrossFit our workouts are
not only physically hard on us, but it takes a lot of mental strength as
well. We also know that being good with our lifestyle (eating &
resting) affects our performance in the gym and how our bodies feel.

According to the definition to rest, you just stop engaging
in strenuous or stressful activities. A “rest day” can be you sitting on
the couch, watching TV, guzzling down beer, while stuffing pizza & chicken
wings into your mouth, (you really can’t use “I was tailgating the UW Game as
an excuse). Yes, you did technically take a day off from the gym, but if
you’re loading up on junk food, staying up late, partying, and not getting
adequate sleep or not working on mobilizing, then you are not taking care of
your body the way you should. I’m not saying that all Recovery
days should be prep for your next day in the gym but it shouldn’t feel like a
scene from the Hangover either, there is a balance.

So here are some ideas that you can do when you take a “Recovery
Day”:

1) Go on Kelly Starrett’s MobilityWOD and learn different
ways of improving your body’s mobility. If you have a tricky area that
feels like it’s extra sore or tight, ask a coach or google it here.
2) Pass up the pizza & pick a paleo recipe that you can find so easily
online (if you have an iPad, there are Paleo iBooks for free)
3) Get your butt off the couch, turn off the TV and go to bed if you didn’t get
enough sleep the night before.4) If you can play on FaceBook for
hours, shut it down and use a foam roller, lacrosse ball, resistance bands, or
other mobility products to work on your body. Or multi-task, foam roll
and do mobility stuff while playing on your gadgets.5) Treat yourself to a massage.
6) Find a quiet space and take some time to meditate and mentally unwind from
your daily grind.
8) Take an ice bath, salt bath, or contrast bath.
9) Stop playing that game on your iPhone, iPad, or Android and take that time
to prepare your nutritious meals for the rest of the week.

I think you get the point of why we
need a “Recovery Day”. We all need to get our bodies, mind, & soul to
a normal stage. This will help us to not only be a better
CrossFitter/athlete, but a better person as well, ready to take on anything
with our day to day lives.